The New Girl In Town
by Blue-Box-Kid
Summary: All Alicia Singer wants to do is hang out with her friends and stay under the radar, but there aren't many people that can stay away from S.H.I.E.L.D's radar for long. Soon enough, she gets unwillingly whisked into the world of undercover heroes and agents-in-training. With more people emerging to oppose S.H.I.E.L.D's hold on the world, is being a hero all it's cracked up to be?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Marvel Universe. I own the writing and my characters only.**

* * *

The fact that my teeth are chattering alerts me that I'm hallucinating.

Again.

I'm probably alone in my house right now. Mom and Dad probably went off to work. Not that I mind.

No, I don't mind that now because I am quite desperately trying to convince myself that the cloaked figures approaching me are illusions.

You'd think that considering how they have reptilian claws would alert me to the fact that I'm hallucinating.

Uh, aliens tried to take over the world a few summers ago. I'm not surprised anymore.

There's nothing in the room to help me. At all. The walls are white, and look like complete slabs of stone. Not a single break or fracture. I couldn't move it if I tried. Of course, besides the hooded things there are no objects in the room, and I don't want to get close.

I back myself into my not-actually-real corner and try to wait it out.

This is a lot easier said than done because the second I blink, they're at my throat. One is millimeters away from my jugular. I'm terrified-and rightly so. I can feel their cold breath on my skin, hear their sinister hisses, smell the stench of rotten eggs and burnt meat that comes from their mouths.

I can't help but think about the wonders a toothbrush would do them.

As much as I try not to, I find myself forced to blink again, but this time I only hear a snap.

My eyes fly open. Hallucination over. Where am I? I take in my surroundings-I've managed to leave my nice, cozy bedroom, travel up the stairs, and press on to the balcony, where I'm leaning-back turned-precariously over the edge.

It takes a second for this to sink in, but now I'm scrambling back into the house, back into my room, onto my bed. I reach frantically for this old stuffed tiger I've had for years-Mr. Grr as I've called him since I was two.

Yes, it's sad that I still need a security blanket-er, tiger-at 17. But can you blame me? The hallucinations have happened as long as I can remember. I need something to help me calm down.

It's hard to calm down right now though, because I've never ended up on the balcony. I'm always in a safe place, no matter when or where the hallucinations happen.

Or at least, until now.

* * *

After a good hour of meditation, I decide to check my phone. I've got a good share of texts from my friends at school wondering 'where r u', 'u feeling ok', and 'r u ready for nxt wk's test'. I don't bother replying. They likely know the answer. They know about the hallucinations-although they, along with the rest of the school, believe them to be weird seizures. They know I skip school sometimes because of them.

What they don't know is what I do at home besides hallucinating.

Most of the time, I'm practicing improving my abilities.

Not abilities like singing or art, though I'm pretty good at both.

I can move things, without needing to touch them. It's a mental thing. Most people would call it telekinesis.

I jokingly call it superpowers, because that's what my parents thought it was when I was little.

The best I've been able to do was when I went to New York City for my summer vacation a few years ago, and the aliens attacked.

I was among the terrified people being corralled into a safe area by police as real superheroes fought the aliens back. I'd gripped my parents' hands tightly, as though I could protect them just by this contact.

Amidst the chaos, I noticed a little boy in the middle of the street, looking very confused and scared, wailing for his mom. He couldn't have been more than four.

Just his luck, an upturned car was skidding straight towards him.

Sometimes, you do things without your brain realising how dangerous it is.

It was one of those moments.

I sprinted to the boy, pushing him into the safety of the crowd as I stared straight at the underbelly of the totaled car, which I'd subconsciously stopped in its place. I motioned it over to the side, and it went flying.

I immediately wished I had left the car there, because I saw a quick flash of a guy flying on one of the alien aircrafts, shooting a burst of energy behind him. It hit a giant freight truck, which began to fly towards me. I fell back on my hands, desperately trying to back away as I heard my parents' hysterical cries as they were held back from grabbing their daughter. I stumbled, fell flat on my back, and saw nothing but white as the truck began to land on me.

And instead shot twenty feet in the air, utterly still.

The panic that came over most of the people there merely registered as a dull murmur to me. I could hear the pumping of blood rushing to my ears. My heart felt as though it had exploded out of my chest. In a daze, I backed away, until I was into the crowd, than slowly let the freight truck fall until it landed on the street with a soft thump.

Immediately I ran back to my parents, who nearly screamed at me for being so reckless.

They also decided that there was no way in hell that I was going back to New York, so we returned home to Chicago the second the government deemed it safe to travel.

Since then, I've only practiced where nobody can see me, because "you never know who could be watching", as my parents put it.

Currently my goal is to figure out how to fly. I've got most of it down. Finding a slab of stone, wood, or anything large enough to hold my feet is a simple task, the more difficult part is combining levitating with moving.

I've managed to get myself 35 feet in the air, no problem. I wonder if thinking about moving like skateboarding will help. I imagine myself zooming down the street, and _bam_!-I shoot forward. And...also downward. Steeply downward. I manage to pull up, and begin a very maddeningly enjoyable roller coaster ride of a flight. I'm not in the best control, but man, this is _amazing_. The wind is rippling through my hair, causing it to appear as a fiery bronze halo behind me. My laughter rings out across the area, and I notice some people look for the source. So much for not being noticed. But nobody's seen me, not even this oddly-suited guy seemingly doing nothing.

As I come back to my house, I'm giddy. Quite incredibly so. The remnants of my hallucination are all but gone, having drifted away like a leaf caught in a breeze.

* * *

**A.N: Hello, readers! Blue-Box-Kid here. Thanks for reading!**

**This story is a few years after the events of the Avengers (like four years or so). It's told in the POV of my OC, Alicia Singer. It's post phase 2 Marvel movies, except for Age of Ultron (as it hasn't come out yet).  
**

**I've got another fic that corresponds to this one, it's called You've Managed to Appeal to My Compassionate Side. It's not quite related (yet), but if you'd like to check it out, I'd really appreciate it. It will give some backstory about some things that I've changed to the MCU, specifically Loki's involvement with the Avengers. If you've found this story because you heard about it from my other fic, hello!**

**Next chapter will be uploaded June 6th. See you all then!**

**Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Marvel, just the writing and my OCs.**

* * *

I slam the door of my school locker shut, dragging my feet as I make my way to my math class. Pre-Calculus. Not my favorite thing ever, but tolerable. Most of my friends are in the class, which makes time pass quicker and problems a lot easier.

I write down notes in my binder, but my mind is in other places, namely the sky. I can't wait to try flying again. All day I've daydreamed about the feeling. I haven't told my parents yet, it's too conspicuous for their tastes. I'll tell them eventually. I barely even notice when my friend Jayden taps me on the shoulder.

"Class is almost over, Alicia," he murmurs in his quietly charming fashion.

I nod and once the bell rings, Jayden and I head to lunch-or rather, the library. Both of us find the lunchroom too loud and annoying, and if I start hallucinating, the library is deserted.

Jayden is drawing in his sketchbook when the intercom comes on.

"Alicia Singer, please report to the Main Office," we hear.

I groan. Why do I have to go to the office? I didn't do anything wrong.

"Want me to come with you?" Jayden asks.

I shake my head no. "I'll probably be back before this period ends."

* * *

I step briskly into the office, wanting to get out as soon as possible. There's no way I'm staying in this stuffy old room for more than a minute or two.

Oddly enough, the secretaries are nowhere to be found, and I don't even think the principal is here. Weird.

I go further into the office, and stop in my tracks.

Oh, _crap_.

That guy in the suit is here. The exact same one. He's brought some friends too.

"Hello, Alicia. I'm Agent Meyers, and these are agents Grant, Barton, and Corso." He motions to a tall, baldheaded man; a shorter, dirty-blonde haired man with sunglasses; and a woman with tightly braided hair, respectively.

I say nothing. I'm not sure I want to know what they're here for.

"We're members of S.H.I.E.L.D, and we'd like to talk with you," Agent Meyers continues. "You're different."

"The kind of different that we deal with," Agent Corso adds.

I find myself becoming tense. Even though I can't tell what's behind Agent Barton's sunglasses, I know he is staring me down.

"Do I have to come with you?" I ask.

Agent Meyers starts to say something, but I don't stay around to find out. I tear out the door, and hear the agents scramble after me.

I may be fast, but I can't outrun these guys for long. They're agile, and trained for this kind of chase. I telekinetically topple trashcans over, causing the agents to hurdle over them. It's not much of a diversion, but anything helps. When I look back, I notice that Agent Barton isn't with them. Where is he?

A bullet rips right past me-no, not a bullet. It's a dart, probably filled with some sort of tranquillizer. _Great_.

Recklessly, I kick over the lid of a trashcan and jump on it, shooting into the air and weaving around the tranquillizer darts.

"Damn, she's better than I thought," I hear Agent Grant growl.

Of course, the moment he says that, I crash into a lamppost. I fall to the ground, dazed, and slowly regain my footing. I pass the lamppost, frantically sending it downward with a quick flick of my wrist. The glass and lightbulb at the top shatter, forcing the agents to jump back.

They're delayed for the moment, and I head toward a side-street.

Just one turn, and I'll have lost them.

_Sshwing_.

Something sharp sticks in my thigh. I stumble, looking down to find an arrow embedded deep in it. Where did...where did that come from? I didn't see any arrows before, who shot that?

So..._dizzy_.

I can't feel my legs.

Am I falling-

* * *

_So cold._

_Are there voices out there?_

_What happened...my head..._

_Where are my parents?_

_Got to get up..._

I struggle to open my eyes. Everything is blurry and too bright.

"I think she's awake now, sir."

Oh yeah, I'm awake. Awake and feeling like someone stuffed cotton balls down my throat, not to mention this pounding headache.

"Where am I?!" I cry out, instinctively thrashing-only to find myself being jerked back. I'm sitting in a chair, with both arm and leg restraints. Lovely.

"I give you credit, kid. I don't think the agents you ran from have had a workout like that in a while. Even I almost broke a sweat," smirked Agent Barton.

I almost instinctively lurch forward again. "You were the one who shot me in the leg, weren't you?"

"Yes. Call me Hawkeye. And also, we patched you up too."

I look around the room, scanning everything-which isn't much. There's only the chair that I'm in now, and a table-that's bolted down. Great. Hawkeye is standing up, along with a curvy redhead and a guy with an eyepatch.

"Where am I?" I repeat, going back to my original question.

"You don't need to know just yet. What I will tell you though, is that you're safe here. Your parents are with other agents, and they won't be harmed." Eyepatch-Guy tells me.

I nod curtly, accepting his answer for the time being.

"Are the restraints necessary?" I ask, feeling uncomfortable.

"You, Miss Singer, are volatile. Had those agents chasing you not been so agile, you could've injured them," Eyepatch-Guy states.

I frown. I hadn't intended to hurt anyone, I just panicked. I can understand why they don't trust me, I guess.

"Fair enough," I reply. "What do you want with me?"

"We'd like to better your abilities, and have you join S.H.I.E.L.D as an agent."

"I have to politely decline. I'm not a fan of the whole 'work under the government' thing," I say, trying to convey respect. I notice Hawkeye and the redhead looking at each other, expressions unreadable.

"This isn't the kind of offer you refuse. We'll give you time, and when you're ready, we can formally start your training," clarifies Eyepatch-Guy.

"So...I'm just staying here? In this cell?"

"Yes." he nods to Hawkeye and Redhead, who follow him out. I hear locks clicking, and my face falls. I don't want to be here. I want to be out. This isn't negotiating, it's holding me and my parents hostage!

I try to meditate. Meditating is a good thing. It's a relaxing thing.

It's very hard to meditate when you can feel the pressure of cool, hard metal chafing your wrists and ankles.

* * *

I'm woken from a trance of staring at the wall when I hear locks clicking again.

Hawkeye steps in. "Dinner call," he says, placing down a salad on the table. "Your mother said you were vegetarian."

I respond only with a baleful stare. They don't even take the restraints off when I eat? Are they really that concerned over me breaking out?

Well, at this rate they should be.

"You're still capable of feeding yourself, right?"

I shrug, getting the fork to spear some lettuce, then propel it into my mouth.

Hawkeye watches in wonder. "Damn, that's cool."

"How long have I been in here?" I ask.

Hawkeye considers. "Well...you were knocked out for two days. And it's 7 P.M. now."

Inwardly, I groan. This is not fair, not in the slightest. A feeling of anger rises in me, as I try to look for anything that could help get me out.

Maybe the restraints are bolted. It wouldn't be easy to force the screws out, but it would be possible.

"Don't you have other people more capable than me?" I ask. Why am I so important? They have the Avengers, don't they?

"Well...we'd like to have as many people as possible as our allies. Especially ones with your skills." he replies.

"You guys have had deserters, haven't you? Agents gone rogue?" I ask, speaking quietly but assured.

"A small few." Hawkeye says, taking my now empty salad bowl away.

"Look, the longer you take to decide, the more time you'll spend in here. Just saying," he calls as he leaves the room.

As expected, the doors lock behind him. I sigh, and continue my attempts to telekinetically force the bolts out. It requires much more concentration than I expected-soon I'm near exhausted and barely closer to removing the first bolt.

I swear, I'm going to get a headache if I do this for too long. I'll just shut my eyes for a second and collect myself.

Except, I open my eyes and I'm still stuck in the chair, but I'm not in the room anymore- I'm in a lush jungle with giant reddish mushrooms that have...mouths?

Oh. Hallucinating again. Just great.

* * *

**A.N: New update! School's finally out, which is great. Thanks to all who followed, and thanks to Extended Experience for reviewing!**

**New update coming next week! Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

I've been in this hell-hole for what seems like forever. I'm going to go crazy in this stupid place. There's nobody to talk to! I can't even move, I can't see my parents-God knows where my friends are-and Hawkeye hasn't come back in days, replaced by stoic, silent agents. They always wear sunglasses when I see them-I think they do that to piss people off, I mean we're inside a building-and they barely even look at me.

My only form of salvation is that I've nearly got the bolts out. I think getting them loose was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Loosening one bolt would take something like two days of straight mental concentration. I thought taking final exams was hard, but this? I didn't think my brain could ever get so tired. Just a bit longer, and I'll be able to get them all out.

Thank God nobody's in here now-

"Hello?"

I look up to see a shorter, nearly greying man with brown eyes and a purple button-down shirt. He looks uncomfortable.

"What do they want from me now?" I ask. Why is he here? Is this some new attempt to get me to join them?

"S.H.I.E.L.D brought me here to talk to you. I'm Dr. Bruce Banner," he answers.

"This isn't some psychological assessment, is it?"

Dr. Banner laughs. "No, nothing like that. They want to see if I can...convince you to join S.H.I.E.L.D. That you might need a gentler approach." It almost seems as though he finds this ironic.

Oh. Well, if he's the one talking, then I think I can keep undoing the bolts without his notice.

"Fine. Talk."

"First off, I'm sorry that it has to be like this. S.H.I.E.L.D can be harsh. I'd know. But...there are good people here. Not always the nicest, but they want to help. I wasn't originally a fan of these guys. I might not even be now. But I'm willing to work with them." Dr. Banner elaborates.

There's something in his eyes that tells me he doesn't fully believe that. But he seems to be a nice enough guy.

"Can't I just go it alone, stay out of their way and they stay out of mine?" I question. I don't really care though. Just buying time. Over half of the bolts have popped off already-Dr. Banner almost noticed, but I managed to hide them from view-and I'll be free in a few moments.

"Er, S.H.I.E.L.D doesn't work that way. Even Tony Stark can't get rid if them, though he tries." He hides a slightly exasperated smile, like referring to an old friend.

Wow, this guy knows Tony Stark? Impressive.

"So you have telekinesis? How does it work?" he asks.

"I don't really have anything to show you how it works," I reply, seeming apologetic. Just one more bolt and I'll be free.

He removes a watch from his wrist and holds it in his outstretched hand. "You do now."

I focus on the watch, and send it shooting up, stopping it to hover just below the ceiling. Dr. Banner's eyes follow it, amazed. I cause the watch to circle the ceiling, and feel my cuffs finally undone. I shake them off and they clatter to the floor.

Dr. Banner turns directly to me, surveying my handiwork. "How long did it take you to do that-"

"A long time, I'll admit. Nice talking to you, Dr. Banner, but I have to decline their offer. I hate surveillance," I say, hastily unlocking the door.

"Wait, I wouldn't do that if I were you-" he calls, reaching out to stop me. Instinctively, I lurch forward, right into the barrel of a gun.

Eyepatch-Guy stares down at me. "I think it's time for you to say yes, Alicia."

My blood runs cold. I really hate this guy. Did he know I was going to get out or something? Sheesh.

"Okay, fine, I'll join, please put the gun away!" I stammer out.

Eyepatch-Guy smirks and pockets his pistol. "You may think you have skill, Alicia, but you're green. Naive. And I don't care what the hell kind of telekinesis you may have, you are nothing until you are trained."

I have to admit that I'm cowering under him, trembling with rage and terror. I hate him. Right now, all I want is to go to my parents and just hug them. Dr. Banner said these were the good guys?

I have to doubt that.

"Your training starts tomorrow. I suggest that you be ready," Eyepatch-Guy remarks sternly, walking off to join some of his other agents.

I turn to Dr. Banner, who is grimacing. "First off, WHO is he?! I don't know his name, but he knows everything about me! And second off, where are my parents?!"

"Well, that's director Nick Fury. He organises S.H.I.E.L.D. They've got maddeningly specific surveillance. And your parents are upstairs-I talked to them earlier, nice people," he says, seeming like he is trying to keep both of us calm.

"Thanks," I say, practically running up the stairs.

He follows after me, though he doesn't make any particular effort to catch up immediately. I'm not sure what to think of him, but I guess he's nice. Not nearly as awful as anyone here.

When I lay eyes on my parents, my face breaks out into a grin. They look tired, and worried, but they're safe. I run to them, enveloping them in a huge bearhug, which they gladly reciprocate.

"Alicia, baby, we're so glad you're safe," they tell me, clearly ecstatic.

After a few moments of checking me over for injuries and asking me a whole bunch of questions, they release me.

"So where are we?! Seriously! Nobody told me anything!" I blurt out.

"Well, we're in New York. Inside Avengers Tower, to be precise. Apparently you were at a separate S.H.I.E.L.D facility when you were unconscious, that's where we were taken originally," my mother tells me.

"I knew we should've stayed farther away from New York," my dad mutters, but Mom shushes him.

"Well, how about we try and see if they'll let us go home, Alicia?" my mother butts in, trying to distract me from my dad's apparent frustration. Her voice is strained. It's starting to register how stressful this whole experience is for them.

"Uh, about that...I have to stay here. I'm supposed to start training tomorrow," I mutter. My parents don't have to say anything for me to know how they feel about this.

"You're...what?"

"It...it'll be okay, Mom, Dad. You guys can stay here. I...want to do this."

That is such a huge lie it almost pains me to say it. I don't want to worry them more than they already are. I'll go along with this whole 'recruitment' deal-for now. Maybe something good will come out of the whole experience. Hey, they might even have a cure for all my hallucinations.

Ugh, who am I kidding? It's gonna suck. Majorly.

* * *

**A.N: Another update! Our intrepid hero is introduced to Bruce Banner. It seems like Alicia's stuck with S.H.I.E.L.D for the foreseeable future, but it might not be that bad.**

**Training's going to be interesting, certainly. More of the Avengers will make an appearance soon.**

**Thanks to all of you that followed and favorited! I'm glad you like the story so far. Also thanks to Guest and Extended Experience for reviewing!**

**Next update will hopefully come next week, but the laptop that I usually use is broken so I'm working with another computer. Don't know when I'll get my laptop fixed. Hopefully soon, considering it's relatively new.**

**If you'd like, leave a review! I'd really appreciate the feedback.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!" a loud, obnoxious voice rings out in my 'makeshift' room. It's pretty awesome, equipped with tons of high-tech speakers, computers-holy crap, I don't even know what half the stuff is!

I'm still exhausted though, sleeping in a prison cell does that to a person. "Can't I just not get up?" I groan to the voice that I assume is coming from a speaker.

"Nope. You've got five seconds or I'll have to get you up by not-so-nice means. Five..."

I growl and pull the covers over my head.

"Four..."

"Cut me some slack here-"

ACDC begins to blast through the room, and I swear the room is vibrating.

"WHAT THE HELL-"

"I play dirty, kid. Be on the base floor in forty-five minutes. If you need anything, ask Jarvis. Stark out."

Wait, that was _the_ Tony Stark? He just woke me up with ACDC? Pretty sweet.

And what did he mean by ask Jarvis?

I look at the clock next to my bed. It's 10 AM? Crap, I slept late.

You know what, I deserve to sleep late, considering the ordeal I just went through. Especially considering that Fury expects me to start training today. What am I even going to do? Levitate books? Is there some sort of study plan for heroes in training?

Also, what am I supposed to wear? They didn't exactly say what proper 'training attire' is.

* * *

"Uh..Jarvis?" I ask tentatively.

"Yes, Miss Singer?" replies the AI. I jump a bit, having not really expected an answer.

"Where am I supposed to be training at?"

"That would be the upper basement. There's an elevator to your left."

"Thanks."

"My pleasure."

I'm not sure if I'm going to get used to the presence of Jarvis, especially if he's pretty much wired everywhere in the Tower. Regardless, it'd probably be best for me to just head to the basement level. I walk over to the elevator, press the 'UB' button (I'm fairly certain nothing else in this place would be marked 'UB'), and tap my foot impatiently as the descent begins. Black Sabbath is pounding in the speakers. Thank God Stark doesn't use elevator music. Considering how huge the Tower is, it'd be absolute torture if he used that boring crap.

* * *

"Glad to see you could make it," Stark says cheerfully as I enter the designated area. It's spacious, and surprisingly well lit. The walls are a very pristine white, providing considerable contrast from the mats covering the floor in alternating streaks of read and gold (Stark's decorative touch, I'm sure). There are some places set up with exercise equipment and high-tech screens, but otherwise it seems bare.

"Nice place," I remark. Stark beams at the compliment. Belatedly, I notice we're not alone-Hawkeye, the redheaded agent, Dr. Banner, and some other agent with dark curly hair and honey-colored eyes are there as well.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you know most everyone here, but I'll remind you just in case. That's Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye; Natasha Romanov, aka Black Widow; Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk; and Agent Cassandra Ashland, but we just call her Data."

Hawkeye and Dr. Banner wave at me, Natasha offers a half-smile. Agent Ashland-er, Data- nods at me in a way that I think is supposed to be friendly, but really looks as though she's trying to deconstruct me. How nice.

I think Tony notices, because he claps Data on the shoulder, which makes her intense stare falter so she looks normal. More normal than before, I guess.

"Don't mind Data, she's nice once you start hanging around her a bit. I promise she won't bite."

I shrug. I've seen my fair share of loner types at school, it's nothing new. Sometimes I get along with them, sometimes I don't. It's never that much of an issue.

"Right now, we really just want to get a better understanding of your telekinesis. See how far it extends," Bruce interjects. "From what we've gathered so far, you seem to have more heightened abilities when threatened, possibly due to a general adrenaline increase. We're going to set up some objects, and you can mess around with them how you'd like. As far as you can go without exhausting or hurting yourself."

At this, the walls shift, revealing various objects, from crates to test dummies to scrap metal and remnants of...something. I can guess that things get damaged a lot over here.

"Knock yourself out, kid. Just try not to smash stuff up too much, 'kay? We'll be over there. Science things." Tony waves me off.

Well. This is…awkward. I'm not really sure what to do. I stare at the assorted things scattered everywhere, puzzling over them. Grr. I've never been that good at coming up with things spontaneously.

"Any time today would be great, Alicia!" I hear Stark say. There's a giant viewing screen off to the right wall, where they can see my every move, and I can see their magnified faces. Great. Bruce shoots him a glare.

I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks as I mutter out an apology. My face is probably redder than a cherry right now.

Desperate to do something, I focus on the crates, bringing them toward me with a slight pulling gesture. That's more like it. My usual, more collected self begins to return. I can do this. I've been practicing this stuff. This is no big deal. I draw my wrist upward, and the crates hover inches above the ground. I allow the crates to go upward a few more inches. They still seem to be pretty stable. With more force, I thrust the wooden boxes upward and-

_CRASH!_

The boxes are little more than falling splinters. Chunks of split boards fall from where they collided forcefully with the ceiling. I may not have judged that verywell. Turning around to the viewing screen, I grimace as a wayward piece of wood hits it and then falls. Tony seems to be caught in between annoyance and amusement. Bruce, well, he's just scanning the room. And Data? Her eyes are furrowed, and I can hear the _scritch-scratch_ of her pen on paper, judging my moves and my apparent lack of control. It doesn't help that the second she looks at me, it feels like there are daggers poking at me. It's not exactly that good for concentration. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if she just laughed in my face the next time I mess up.

I bite my lip. This isn't going as well as I wanted it to.

* * *

**A.N.: So sorry guys, I've been busy and it's been storming like crazy over here. My power went out a few days ago, which was so very fun. Not.**

**I'm uploading another chapter for this fic on Saturday to make up for my absence. From here on out, I will try my hardest to upload a chapter every Saturday.**

**Also, Guardians of the Galaxy is coming out soon! Or today. I'm not sure, but I'm super hyped.**

**Thanks to Extended Experience for reviewing, and thanks to all of you that favorited and followed this story! It really makes my day.**


	5. Chapter 5

Although all the crates are currently splinters, I think I can still demonstrate my abilities to my observers.

There are a few test dummies close by. I could do something with them. Hmm. I could try to make them interact with each other. It'd be something like puppetry! I've never tried to move anything people-shaped with telekinesis, but they are only mannequins. And who knows, maybe if I can get the dummies to move, I might be able to move a real person.

I glance back at the screen quickly. Hawkeye's giving me an expectant grin, and Romanov's expression is neutral aside from the slight quirk of a smile in her lips. They're the only ones who actually seem encouraging in all this. Honestly, I think Tony and Dr. Banner are too caught up in their observation and attempted research to understand my nerves.

Without any further delay, I focus intently on the mannequin to the right, flexing my hand, seeing if I can elicit a response. The dummy waggles around a bit, not moving particularly close to me but still moving nonetheless. I try the same with the left sided mannequin. It runs smoother this time, and I believe that have enough control to operate them both. My arms stretch wide, distancing the two. They hover, awaiting my next direction. I breathe in deeply and bring my arms together again, stopping them a moment before they connect with each other. If I can just bring the right one a bit closer to me and...

"Crap!" I let out an audible yelp as I realize that yet again, I've managed to misjudge the amount of force necessary, and have sent both of the stupid crash test dummies hurtling towards me. I leap out of the way (though it's more like an ungraceful stumble), and the mannequins tumble to the floor.

"Are you always this competent?" asks Data.

"Excuse me?" I scoff in return. What is this woman's problem?

"I've gotten reports that have said that you once managed to suspend a truck in-air. I'm not certain you live up to your legend."

Tony gives her a glare, seeming to mutter something about Data needing to lighten up.

"Well, I did. Once. And even so, it's not like you've done anything of note. I can understand some of the Avengers being here, considering they're actually talented, but what about you?!" I retort angrily.

The agent smirks. "I am on a different spectrum. I have no need to compare your abilities to my own. But if you take into consideration your previous demonstrations, kid, you're lacking. Nothing some intense training can't fix, but I'd hope you would give us your best."

My hands ball into fists. I can't believe this. This whole thing is so incredibly dumb. S.H.I.E.L.D basically kidnaps me, recruits me, and then expects me to be some sort of obedient little trainee? And they stick me with a cocky ass who does nothing but belittle me? Honestly, if I could, I'd get out of here the first chance I got. I would give anything to be back with my friends. I even missed school a bit. I felt somewhat successful there. But no, I'm stuck here for the foreseeable future.

What are they even going to do with me whenever I complete my training? Am I going to be an agent by default? Do I try to go to college? I doubt they'll just drop me off into the normal world after-

"Hey, Alicia. Are you noticing the little hat trick you're doing there? With all the broken things?" Tony interrupts, pointing a pen to the space around me.

I look around, trying to figure out what exactly Tony is talking about. "I don't know-_oh_."

The splinters of wood and pieces of scrap metal that previously littered the floor are stretched behind me like a spiky barrier, splaying outward, pointy ends inadvertently directed at Data. They are suspended in the air, quivering slightly. I wasn't even thinking about it. Usually I have to direct things to move around me. It almost never happens automatically.

Dr. Banner, Natasha, Hawkeye, and Data are surprised, eyebrows raised. Tony makes sure that my new 'hat trick' as he put it is meticulously recorded in observation notes.

Data is the first to snap out of her reverie. I'm not exactly happy about that.

"I should apologize. I had a feeling your abilities could be linked to your emotional state and also some sort of instinct, so I decided to test that theory."

"What, by trying to get me angry? How kind of you," I retort, arms crossed.

"Well, it appeared to be successful, to an extent. Seeing as you haven't yet allowed those pieces of wood to fall."

"Doesn't make it any more right," I mutter under my breath.

Sensing the tension, Dr. Banner clears his throat and interrupts before Data can reply. "Well, I think you deserve a break, Alicia. You did well, trust me. We'll get the place cleaned up and then go from there."

I nod in agreement, all too happy to get away for a bit.

Out of the corner of my eye, I think I can see something moving. It's not any part of the equipment I just used for training, it could be some sort of insect. A praying mantis, maybe? It looks big enough. And how did a praying mantis manage to get in this place? I crouch to the ground, but it already disappeared. Weird.

"Did you guys see that?" I ask.

Hawkeye cocks an eyebrow at me, perplexed. "See what?"

"That praying mantis that was crawling around. I wonder how it got here."

If he didn't look confused before, Hawkeye definitely does now, and I decide to drop the subject. It wasn't a big deal, anyway.

* * *

After I leave the Upper Basement level of Avengers Tower, I'm bombarded by a flood of flying insects.

Okay. What the hell?

Monarch butterflies, swallowtails, ladybugs, bumblebees, they flit around like this place is some sort of garden haven. What's going on? I've never seen so many in one place, let alone the inside of a building in New York City.

I take a quick glance around at the others in the Tower to see if they've noticed the influx of bugs. Nobody seems fazed...it must be just me then. When one gets close enough to touch, I gently grab at it. It dissolves into thin air, as though it never existed in the first place.

Of course, that's because it hadn't. The haze of butterflies is just a hallucination.

Some part of me had hoped the hallucinations had magically gone away. Part of me always does. I haven't experienced one in a while, which is a surprise considering the wildness of recent circumstances. But no matter how long they're gone, they always come back. I'm just glad this isn't one of my more dangerous episodes. I doubt that I could handle one of those right now.

Dr. Banner and the others probably know that I get them periodically. Maybe I could see if Dr. Banner knows some way to get rid of them. It briefly passes through my mind that there's no point in going to him, but I really should try to see if the hallucinations can be addressed.

I can imagine what would happen if a hallucination happened during more rigorous training. It's not a good thought.

**A.N: Well, new update! Yay. Thanks to Extended Experience for reviewing, and I'll see you all next Saturday with another update.**

**Thanks for favoriting and following! If you can, drop a review! I love to hear your feedback.**


End file.
